History of Alba

The archaeological remains of the area where Alba is located date back to the Neolithic Age, and witness the first human presence between the sixth and the third millennium BC. The ancient settlement, quite extensive, was located on the left bank of the Cherasca River, just before the confluence with the  Tanaro River.

It is quoted by some classical and epigraphic sources  by the name of “Alba Pompeia”, in honor of the consul Cneius Pompeius Strabo (150-80 BC), who, in the year 89 BC, granted Roman citizenship to Cisalpine Gaul: “[…] Alba Pompeia Colonia fuit a Pompeio deducta […]” [“Alba Pompeia was a colony founded by Pompeius"] (See V. De Conti, “Notizie storiche di Casale del Monferrato” ["Historical Perspectives of Casale Monferrato], Mantelli, 1838: 294).

With regard to the etymology,  hypothesis are many, but the most credible claims that the ancient name of the city is of Ligurian origin, meaning “Town” or "Chief Town" (“Ligures civitates suas ‘Albion’ vocant” (Strabo [58-25 BC]) [“The Ligurian call their cities ‘Albion’”]; in Roman times, according to some scholars, the city was an important center in which Justice was administered  (see N. Lambroglia, “Alba Pompeia e il museo storico-archeologico ‘federico eusebio’” ["Alba Pompeia and the Historical and Archaeological Museum ‘Federico Eusebio’”], Bordighera”, 1949).

However, about the ancient Roman law of Alba discussions are still ongoing, and there is no uniformity of opinion among scholars. The only reliable statistics are based on the fact that Alba was placed in the tribe "Camilia," while we have no documents about the administrative situation of the city in the Republican Age. The epigraphic evidences register the presence of the “duoviri”, magistrates of the Roman colonies, next to so-called “quattuorviri”; these magistrates indicate that in ancient Imperial Age the  city had probably the title of “Municipium”. Stefano Cellano would have obtained this evidence from an ancient inscription that said: " Municipio suo Alba Pompeia " (See V. De Conti: 294).

In the Middle Ages, Alba became a free Municipality in 1170, and it was immediately contested between Guelphs and Ghibellines. After a series of wars, sieges and Dominions (including that of the Gonzaga), in 1628, finally, it came under the dominion of the Dukes of Savoy.

What remains of the medieval age is still visible; in fact, the defense wall of Alba is a true monument of the military art. The towers, walls and ramparts are based on foundations that joined them more than two meters thick, and they were surrounded by a deep moat. Most of the towers were demolished in the nineteenth century, but they are still a lot of evidences.